Have you got your £150 Warm Home Discount?

Who is eligible?

The rules are different in England & Wales, in Scotland, and in Northern Ireland — where the scheme does not run at all.

England & Wales

Two groups qualify, and both are identified automatically:

• Core Group 1 — you (or your partner) get the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit.
• Core Group 2 — you (or your partner) are on a low income because you get a qualifying means-tested benefit — for example Universal Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Housing Benefit, Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit or the Savings Credit part of Pension Credit. There is no longer any property or “hard to heat” test. If you get a qualifying benefit, you qualify.

In both groups you should receive a letter automatically — usually between October and December — telling you the discount will be applied to your electricity bill. You do not have to apply.

Scotland

Scotland is different, and it is not automatic. The Scottish scheme is run by each energy supplier individually, so you must apply directly to your energy supplier, usually from summer or early autumn. Each supplier sets its own criteria and has a limited budget, so apply as early as you can — supplier schemes can close once the budget runs out.

Northern Ireland

The Warm Home Discount does not exist in Northern Ireland (GOV.UK states this plainly). Nobody in NI is identified automatically and no supplier there runs the scheme. What exists instead is the Affordable Warmth Scheme from the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and your council — energy-efficiency measures for the home (insulation, heating, boiler replacement) for lower-income households, rather than a credit on the bill. Apply through your council or the NI Energy Advice Service via NIHE.

How to claim

1. Pension Credit Guarantee recipients — you don’t need to do anything in England & Wales. You should get a letter by December. If you don’t, call 0800 030 9322.
2. On a qualifying means-tested benefit in England & Wales — same. You are identified automatically from benefits data. There is no property test any more, so don’t assume your home rules you out.
3. In Scotland — it is not automatic. Check your energy supplier’s website from summer/early autumn and apply directly, as budgets are limited. Common suppliers:
   • British Gas
   • EDF
   • E.ON Next
   • Octopus
   • OVO
   • Scottish Power
4. In Northern Ireland — there is nothing to claim, because the Warm Home Discount does not run in NI. Apply instead to the Affordable Warmth Scheme through your council or the NI Energy Advice Service, and still check your Winter Fuel Payment and Cold Weather Payment — those do apply in Northern Ireland.

Park (mobile) homes. If you live in a park home you apply a different way — through the Park Homes Warm Home Discount, not through your electricity supplier.

How the discount arrives

• If you pay by direct debit or on receipt of bill — the £150 appears as a credit on your electricity account between October and March.
• If you have a prepayment meter — the £150 is sent as a top-up voucher (usually by post or text message).
• If you have a dual-fuel tariff — the discount applies to the electricity portion only.

What else you could be missing

If you qualify for Warm Home Discount, you may also qualify for:

• Cold Weather Payment — £25 for each week of very cold weather (December to March) if you're on certain benefits. Paid automatically.
• Winter Fuel Payment — £200 (or £300 if you or a partner is 80+), paid automatically to almost all pensioners in England & Wales for winter 2025/26; HMRC claws it back only if your taxable income is over £35,000
• Energy supplier hardship funds — British Gas, EDF, Octopus and others run charity-funded hardship grants for severely struggling customers
• Pension Credit — if you receive the Warm Home Discount as a low-income household (Core Group 2) and are over State Pension age, you may also qualify for Pension Credit worth thousands more